Sri Lanka Railways Forum

Railway lands to be utilized with private sector help to develop railway service.

The Sri Lanka Railways will secure the assistance of the private sector to refurbish 320 railway stations in the country. The department has drawn up plans to utilize a land area of 13,000 acres it owns to the maximum benefit, Transport Minister Dulles Aahapperuma said.

He also said all unauthorized constructions and squatters on railway lands will be removed to make way for new railway constructions and renovations of the tracks. Unauthorized constructions pose a threat to commuters and restrict the speed of trains. The department has found it difficult to carry out maintenance work on rail tracks due to these unauthorized constructions, he added.

Addressing a group of media personnel while travelling on a special train to Kandy to cover the inauguration of the Kandy Railway Station Renovation Project on Tuesday, Minister Alahapperuma said the department has decided to renovate and refurbish all railway stations in the country with private sector collaboration. “We can’t depend on treasury grants for ever and to continue to be a liability to the government. We have to offer a satisfactory service to commuters. Our strategy to achieve this objective is to seek private sector collaboration and make the optimum use of our resources,” he said.

Under the programme the maintenance of railway stations will be handed over to private companies.  They will have to keep railway stations tidy, clean and attractive. The companies will in turn be offered space at stations to erect hoardings. The department will also lease out department lands to investors, he added.

The land belonging to the Bambalapitiya Railway Station is 1.5 acres in extent and a perch of it worth about Rs. 5 million. The department has called worldwide tenders to develop the premises and five international bidders have come forward. The department is in the process of negotiating with one investor to construct a 35 storied building designed to provide apartments and a departmental store, minister said.  “This is not privatization in any way as some elements may attempt to portray. The company will have to pay us a rent as the land is the property of the department, Mr. Alahapperuma explained.

By Sandun A Jayasekera

Source: Daily Mirror

Tags: commuters, inauguration, international bidders, maintenance work, maximum benefit, private companies, private sector, railway constructions, railway service, railway station, railway stations, renovation project, renovations, satisfactory service, squatters, sri lanka railways, station renovation, tenders, transport minister

                            

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